Philadelphia Eagles scouting reports: Top 3 Big 12 cornerbacks

Write Zech McPhearson’s name down if you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan.

Texas Tech’s Zech McPhearson is one of those guys that makes you wonder just how good he could have been if he had stayed in the Big Ten with Penn State or had he played in another conference or on another roster. What might he have done had he played for and against the teams that we see grind out tough games on a week-in and week-out basis in the SEC?

How much should we take from his resume as a 21-game starter while appearing in 22 career games with the Red Raiders? What should we gather knowing that his teammates respected him so much that they named him a member of their captain’s circle in his final season?

Sure, the Big 12, as stated, isn’t a conference that’s known for putting a premium on defensive showcases, but that isn’t Zech McPhearson’s fault. Nor is it his responsibility to craft Texas Tech’s schedule. His job is to line up and play the team on the other side of the ball, and when he did so, the results were good more often than not.

This young man appeared in all ten of his team’s games in 2020 with nine starts, and when the smoke cleared and the dust settled, he was among the nation’s leaders in interceptions and total takeaways forced. As a member of both the Nittany Lions and Red Raiders, the resume includes 31 games with 118 total tackles, four picks, 14 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown. That isn’t too shabby for the five-foot-eleven, 195-pound standout.